Super compaction of biomass and other carbon-containing materials to high energy content fuels

Abstract

A super compactor receives a carbon-containing material and delivers a brick suitable as fuel for power generation. A compaction chamber receives the carbon-containing material and has at least one ram reciprocating along a travel path and exerting a predetermined amount of pressure on the carbon-containing material. The compaction chamber also has an end effector plate or a movable slide gate against which the carbon-containing material is compressed, promoting the removal of moisture from the carbon-containing material, and one or more dewatering apertures or a membrane permitting moisture to pass through but blocking the carbon-containing material. A collector captures the moisture that passes through the dewatering apertures or membrane. A power unit provides power to the at least one ram. A heated extrusion chamber receives the carbon-containing material from the compaction chamber and heats and compacts the carbon-containing material to bind the carbon-containing material into the form of a brick.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A super compactor configured to receive biomass and deliver a brick suitable as fuel for power generation, the super compactor comprising:
 an inlet adapted to receive the biomass from an external source; 
 a compaction chamber configured to receive the biomass from the inlet and having:
 (a) at least one ram configured to reciprocate along a travel path and exert a predetermined amount of pressure on the biomass, 
 (b) a movable slide gate compressible against the biomass, the slide gate being configured to switch between a closed configuration, a slotted configuration, and an open configuration, the gate defining a first outer perimeter, wherein, when the movable slide gate is in the slotted configuration, the movable slide gate defines at least a pair of recesses that each define a second outer perimeter, wherein an entirety of the second outer perimeter is spaced at a distance from the first outer perimeter and each of the pair of recesses extends at least partially through a thickness of the gate so as to promote the removal of moisture from the biomass, and 
 (c) one or more dewatering apertures configured to permit moisture to pass through to a moisture collector configured to capture moisture that passes through the dewatering apertures; 
 
 a power unit configured to provide power to the at least one ram; and 
 a heated extrusion chamber configured to receive the biomass from the compaction chamber, the heated extrusion chamber being separated from the compaction chamber by the movable slide gate, wherein the heated extrusion chamber is configured to receive the biomass from the compaction chamber when the movable slide gate is in the open configuration, the heated extrusion chamber being further configured to heat and compact the biomass to bind the biomass and form the brick. 
 
     
     
       2. The super compactor of  claim 1 , wherein the super compactor is configured such that the predetermined amount of pressure on the biomass reduces the volume of the biomass by a factor of about 10:1 or more. 
     
     
       3. The super compactor of  claim 1 , wherein the super compactor is configured such that the predetermined amount of pressure on the biomass reduces the moisture in the biomass to about 30% or less. 
     
     
       4. The super compactor of  claim 1 , wherein the compaction chamber is configured to operate at a speed that enables the super compactor to process about 25 tons of the biomass per hour. 
     
     
       5. The super compactor of  claim 1 , wherein the power unit is configured to create heat and the super compactor further comprises a heat exchanger configured to deliver the heat created by the power unit to the heated extrusion chamber. 
     
     
       6. The super compactor of  claim 1 , wherein the compaction chamber has three, separate rams each having a separate travel path disposed along one of three orthogonal directions. 
     
     
       7. The super compactor of  claim 1 , further comprising a programmable logic controller configured to receive information from various components of the compactor and control the operation of the components. 
     
     
       8. A method of creating a brick suitable as fuel for power generation from biomass, the method comprising:
 (a) positioning the biomass; 
 (b) pre-processing the biomass to a suitable size and water content; 
 (c) delivering the biomass to a compaction chamber of a super compactor; 
 (d) actuating the super compactor to exert a predetermined amount of pressure of between 10,000 psi and 200,000 psi on the biomass, thereby squeezing water out of and collapsing voids in the biomass, the super compactor having a moveable slide gate that is configured to switch between a closed configuration, a slotted configuration, and an open configuration, such that when the moveable slide gate is in the slotted configuration, at least a portion of the water passes through at least a pair of recesses extending at least partially through a thickness of a movable slide gate; 
 (e) collecting the water squeezed out of the biomass; 
 (f) positioning the movable slide gate in the open configuration; 
 (g)moving the biomass from the compaction chamber to a heated extrusion chamber, the heated extrusion chamber being separated from the compaction chamber by the movable slide gate; and 
 (h) heating the biomass to form the brick. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of heating further forms a protective coating on the brick. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined amount of pressure exerted by the super compactor on the biomass reduces the volume of the biomass by a factor of about 10:1 or more. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined amount of pressure exerted by the super compactor on the biomass reduces the water in the biomass to about 30% or less. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of extruding the biomass through a die to form a brick of a predetermined shape. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of transporting the brick to a power generation plant for use as fuel. 
     
     
       14. A super compactor configured to receive biomass and deliver a brick suitable as fuel for power generation, the super compactor comprising:
 an inlet adapted to receive the biomass from an external source; 
 a compaction chamber configured to receive the biomass from the inlet and having:
 (a) at least one ram configured to reciprocate along a travel path and exert a predetermined amount of pressure on the biomass, 
 (b) a movable slide gate compressible against the biomass, the slide gate being configured to switch between a closed configuration, a slotted configuration, and an open configuration, the gate defining a center and an outer perimeter, wherein, when the moveable slide gate is in the slotted configuration, the movable slide gate defines at least one recess that extends between the center and the outer perimeter, the at least one recess extending at least partially through a thickness of the gate so as to promote the removal of moisture from the biomass, and 
 (c) one or more dewatering apertures configured to permit moisture to pass through a moisture collector configured to capture moisture that passes through the dewatering apertures; 
 
 a power unit configured to provide power to the at least one ram; and 
 a heated extrusion chamber configured to receive the biomass from the compaction chamber, the heated extrusion chamber being separated from the compaction chamber by the movable slide gate, wherein the heated extrusion chamber is configured to receive the biomass from the compaction chamber when the movable slide gate is in the open configuration, the heated extrusion chamber being further configured to heat and compact the biomass to bind the biomass and form the brick. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the movable slide gate is compressible against the biomass, the gate defining a first outer perimeter and further defining at least a pair of recesses that each define a second outer perimeter, wherein an entirety of the second outer perimeter is spaced at a distance from the first outer perimeter and each of the pair of recesses extends at least partially through a thickness of the gate so as to promote the removal of moisture from the biomass. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the movable slide gate is compressible against the biomass, the gate defining a center and an outer perimeter, and further defining at least one recess that extends between the center and the outer perimeter, the at least one recess extending at least partially through a thickness of the gate so as to promote the removal of moisture from the biomass. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of actuating the super compactor includes actuating the super compactor to exert at least 20,000 psi on the biomass. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of actuating the super compactor includes actuating the super compactor to exert at least 50,000 psi on the biomass. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of actuating the super compactor includes actuating the super compactor to exert at least 100,000 psi on the biomass.